PD joining European Socialists 'historic' says PES leader

'Family complete' says Stanishev

(ANSA) - Rome, February 27 - The centre-left Italian
Democratic Party's (PD) decision to join the Party of European
Socialists (PES) is "historic", PES President Serghei Stanishev
said after leaving a PD executive meeting that voted 121 to one
with two abstentions to back the move.

"It's a historic moment not only for the PD but for all the
European Socialist family because without the PD the family was
incomplete," he said.

Earlier Stanishev voiced confidence that the PD's request to
join will be approved at its annual congress in Rome on February
28 and March 1.
Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Stanishev is scheduled to
meet with Italy's freshly appointed Premier Matteo Renzi, the PD
leader, during his trip.

The PD's twin souls, heirs to the once-powerful Italian
Communist Party (PCI) and the Christian Socialist wing of the
once-dominant Christian Democrat Party (DC), had been arguing
for years whether to join the PES.

The post-PCI wing had been largely in favour and the post-DC
one largely against.

Several high-profile exponents of the post-DC strain left
the party recently.